Puttee or spat.



PUTTEE 0R SPAT.

APPLICATlON FILED JUNE 24.1916.

1 1 99,23 6 Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

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JOSEPH BOYD, OF CLONBUR, G-ALWAY, IRELAND.

PUTTEE OR SPAT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

Application filed June 24, 1916. Serial No. 105,689.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JosEr BOYD, a subject of the King of Great Britain and he land, residing at Ebor Hall, Clonbur, county Galway, Ireland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Puttees or Spats, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates chiefly to improvements in puttees and particularly to their application as military equipment. It may also, however, be applied to spats.

The existing puttee most commonly in use, is a strip of non-elastic material which is applied to the leg by wrapping two or three times about the narrowest part of the ankle and thence upward spirally about the calf, with one or more reverse turns to preserve the shape, and finishing below the knee with two or three further turns which are finally secured by means of a length of tape which is attached to the end of the puttee, wound two or three times over the finishing turns and tucked into the top of them. This non-elastic strip so secured must be wound upon the leg with a very exact degree of tension in order that the article may at the same time remain firmly in place, and give reasonable freedom to the arteries and muscles of the leg. It can be carried but slightly below the narrowest part of the ankle, it is difficult to adjust, and unreliable in its fastenings under the stress of energetic action.

Now, according to my invention, I combine an elastic central portion to cover the leg from the boot top to below the knee, with non-elastic portions to cover the boot top and to form the necessary wrappings below the knee. I attach the lower end of the puttee firmly to the boot by means of a special form of hook hereafter described engaging with either the edge of the boot flap, or with an ordinary or special eyelet hole in it, or where hooks are worn on the boot, by means of a loop to such hook, and at the top I fasten the final turn with an other special form of hook also hereafter described, designed to prevent absolutely the overtightening of the puttee which often causes constriction of the circulation and at the same time to maintain the puttee firmly in position under all circumstances.

I i 0 describe my invention, more particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figures 1 and 2 show respectively the bottom and top ends of the puttee and Figs. 3 and 4 the special hooks for securing the puttee in position.

Referring to the drawings, the improved puttee is constituted by a center portion 1 of elastic material intended to cover the leg from the boot top to just below the knee and end portions 2 and 3 of non-elastic material intended respectively to cover the boot and to secure the last fold of the elastic center portion in position. The elastic material which forms the central portion of the puttee is preferably a material which I propose to have especially woven for this purpose in such a manner that both the material itself and the elastic threads in it are stronger and thicker at the outer edges and diminish in strength and thickness toward the center. This is for the purpose of securing uniform pressure over all parts of the leg and so as to avoid unequal wear of the strip of material which is usually greater at the edges than in' the center. The manner of weaving to attain this object is well-known to those skilled in the art.

The lower non-elastic portion 2 may conveniently be made of very strong material to resist the wear which is greatest at this point, and the upper non-elastic piece 3 which is conveniently narrower than the portion 1, may be varied in quality and strength and adapted to the pursuit of the wearer.

The puttee is secured in position by special hooks 4 and 5. The lower attachment through a button-hole 8 in the material so that the point'of the hook projects in the usual manner, and the material between the buttonhole and the edge passes between the fiat portion and the shank, and is gripped between them. The hook at thus cannot easily be torn away from the material and is fr e o swivel side to si and to a just itself to the direction of pull Without causing unsightly puckers in the material. The upper hook 5 is attached to the material in exactly the same Way as the lower, but it is intended to use this hook to thrust through the material forming the upper turns, and it is therefore sharp pointed.

In order that there may be no danger of thrusting the sharp point 9 through the material into the leg, I so adjust the point of the hook that it projects beyond the fiattened and upturned portion 10 of the shank, only sufliciently far to enter the material, andthe edge of the flattened portion then comes in contact with the material, and prevents the point from being forced through into the leg. Now it is clear that in so hooking the end of the puttee into the turn about the leg, when the hook is pushed home it permits the turn to slacken back the dis tance from the point to the bend of the hook, and this slackening back is intended to be a safety device to prevent the tightening up of the puttee to such an extent as to cause constriction of the circulation, and the amount of the slackening may be regulated by the length of the hook.

In use, the lower attachment hook at is inserted in the first or second eyelet hole of the inner flap of the boot or may grip the outer flap itself or in the case of a boot with hooks may be attached to a hook by a loop, or the buttonhole in the end of the puttee may be passed over one of the hooks. lower non-elastic portion is then wrapped around to the top of the boot and the elastic portion then carried spirally up. The fin- The ishing band is then pulled tight and the point of the top hook pressed through the last folds aided by the thumb beneath them.

I claim 1. An improved puttee, comprising in combination. a central main portion of elastic material, end portions of non-elastic material, and swiveling hooks attached to said end portions adapted respectively to secure the puttee to the boot or shoe of the wearer and to secure the upper end of the puttee in tral main portion of elastic material in whichthe material including the-elastic threads in it is stronger and thicker at the outer edges and diminishes in strength and thickness toward the center, end portions of nonelastic material, and swiveling hooks attached to said end portions adapted respectively to secure the puttee to the boot or shoe of the wearer and to secure the upper end of the puttee in position, substantially as de scribed.

JOSEPH BOYD.

Witnesses:

HENRY BOUCHER Hams, EDWARD HARVEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, .0. G, 

